Back For Another Night?
by CH3353C4K3
Summary: Desperate for money to pay rent, Mike Schmidt takes the only job available that isn't tedious manual labor, working as a night guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza! But is everything as it seems? Soon, Mike will find himself uncovering a decades old secret with his new 100% human friends, with unforeseen consequences. A probably short series without any deeper meaning. Seriously.
1. The kinda prologue

"...and there's an opening at that warehouse the other side of town for someone to do some heavy lifting, but other than that, nothing." Mike Schmidt groaned and put his head in his hands, cursing his luck and the universe's cruel sense of humour. For the past 2 days he and his room mate, Reece, had been going through dozens of newspapers and websites, searching for something, anything, but the only jobs available in his neighbourhood were hours of manual labour, more suited to people who actually cared about their bodies than lanky 24 year old university drop outs who's weekly exercise consisted of collecting the groceries and walking to the bathroom. Having left university several months ago, Mike had managed to rapidly burn through several jobs (In one case, quite literally) due to a combination of laziness and general incompetence, and now, with every month a struggle to pay rent, he was sorely regretting his poor life choices. With a resigned sigh, he picked up the last newspaper on the pile, The Sax, and began to half-heartedly turn the pages, wearily skimming the contents, not really taking it in. So despondent and doubtful was he, he nearly missed the small advert tucked into the bottom corner of the 7th page, depicting a large animatronic bear doffing his top hat. "Hey Reece, come and look at what I found!" he called, the despair melting from his voice. "What is it?" Reece asked as he wandered over, leaning over the sofa to look at the advert Mike was waving at him. "Hmmmm...Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, huh? Isn't that the place with all those creepy robots where all those kids went missing?" Mike rolled his eyes. "Come on, you don't really believe that, do you? I'm sure that it's just an urban legend, and anyway, even if it did happen, it was years ago. Also, the animatronics aren't that bad. I mean, look at him," Mike said whilst gesturing towards the titular Freddy Fazbear "I think he looks kinda cool." Upon hearing these words, Reece gave Mike a stare that lasted for about 10 seconds and appeared to be a mix of disgust, confusion and pity, but was courteous enough to keep his thoughts to himself. "And besides," Mike added hastily upon seeing the disapproval in his friend's gaze "it's an opening for the night guard, watching cameras and making sure no-one breaks in. I wont even have to look at them." Upon hearing this Reece gave a resigned grunt and walked over to the phone, chucking it over to Mike. "Well," he said, giving Mike a wink "the day ain't getting any shorter."

* * *

 _Several hours later..._

Mike stepped out of the car and into the chill November air, taking in the dilapidated Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Graffiti criss-crossed the aged walls, much of it insults directed at the owners of the establishment and their mothers. Many of the windows were boarded-up, and a piece of busted piping lay on the floor, gathering dust. Mike's initial pride at having received the job quickly dissolved as he realised that the owner was probably rather desperate, but the thought of the money he would be earning worked well to soothe his injured pride. Shaking his head, he strode to the door and slipped inside, quickly realising that it was just as cold inside as it was outside. Rubbing his arms, Mike skirted around the tables towards the manager's office, casting an eye towards the show stage and the animatronics standing motionless upon it. Standing close to 7 feet tall, the imposing robots maintained a silent vigil over their pizzeria, their all too human eyes missing nothing. "Well," Mike muttered to himself as he stared "maybe they're a little creepy up close." He had an uncomfortable feeling, that of man being watched, but chalked it up to nerves and pushed it to the back of his mind, but nonetheless quickened his pace towards the manager's office. Taking a breath, he knocked loudly before stepping back to await admission. He could barely make out the sound of papers hurriedly being shuffled and drawers being quickly shut, before a loud throat clearing was heard. "Come in." his boss called, voice strained and tired-sounding, the voice of a defeated man. Mike, however, paid no mind, consumed as he was by nerves, and hurried into the office, quietly shutting the door behind him. As he turned, he was not wholly surprised to see the office in a similar state of disrepair as the outside of the building, with loose floorboards and holes where nails had been torn out of the walls. On his boss's desk were several piles of sheets tallying losses and expenses, income and total profit, with a clear decline on the latter two contrasting the rather shocking rise on the former. A name, Isaac, was printed on a laminated strip of paper pinned to the front of the desk. Isaac himself looked like a reflection of the room, appearing rather dishevelled and wearing cheap clothes. As though sensing this appraisal, Isaac tried to muster a sincere smile, with questionable results. "Hello, Mike," He began, hand extended towards Mike, who shook it and nodded. "Welcome to Freddy's. Please don't mind the mess," He said, gesturing to the room, "we've been having a few...financial problems. Don't worry though," he added hastily "Your job isn't in any danger. Night guard is one of our most important jobs! People always want to know the secret of our animatronics, and we rely on you to keep it safe. Our success depends a fair amount on your competence, so you'll need to learn the game quickly. No pressure of course." He added with a small grin. "I'm sure you'll be fine! Now then, first you'll need this," Reaching behind his desk he produced a grey suit and pressed it into Mike's hands, swiftly followed by a bronze badge depicting a grinning Freddy Fazbear, with the words 'Security' and 'Freddy Fazbear' printed on it. It was cool to the touch and glinted nicely in the light. "Don't worry about it for tonight," Isaac continued after Mike had finished examining his apparel "just make sure you wear it tomorrow. It's for your own good." Mike raised an eyebrow at this, pondering the words, but promptly brushed it aside. "Now then," Isaac gestured at a cheap watch adorning his wrist "It's half 11, so lets get you settled in quickly. I, er, I have to be gone soon, can't stick around, y'know? Let me show you to your office."

 _2 minutes, 17 seconds and 32 milliseconds later..._

Mike couldn't help but feel claustrophobic in the cramped office. The desk in front of him was absolutely cluttered with junk, likely left behind by previous employees. The fan pointed towards him was making his skin numb, but to his horror he discovered that it apparently lacked an 'off' button. A cable led into the desk, but he wasn't about to rip it out, especially with his boss present. Said boss was currently tapping his foot rather quickly, anxiety written upon his face. "Well, here we are. I really don't have a lot of time, so let me give you the basics. Here is your tablet." He said, waving said tablet in Mike's face. "This will allow you to monitor the cameras installed throughout our establishment. These," he gestured towards the pair of buttons on the left door "will allow you to activate the doors and the lights respectively. That's really all there is to it. One of the previous employees recorded a few messages I think, to help you get settled in, y'know? They should kick in at about 12. Other than that, all I can say is 'Good luck'. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow at 6. Alright then, goodnight!" With that, Isaac hurried out of the office before Mike could respond. "Well, he certainly seemed in a hurry." Mike thought to himself. Reaching to the desk, he picked up the tablet and turned it on, immediately being greeted to the sight of three oversized animals staring blankly ahead. "Yeah," Mike muttered "I take back what I said before. These guys really are a bit off." Feeling a little unnerved, Mike swiftly changed the camera to the feed labelled 'CAM 1B' where he saw Isaac fumbling with the door before casting a baleful glance towards the animatronics and hurrying out. Glancing down, Mike was horrified to see a small '100%' in the bottom left of the display, along with a little battery bar that seemed to be empty for the moment. "Wait, I have limited power?" Mike was livid. "What kind of cheap ass pizzeria has limited power? Why the hell didn't Isaac tell me?" Groaning, Mike put down the tablet, leaning back and taking deep breaths. Glancing at his wrist showed the time was 20 to 12. Mike hadn't even brought a book. Glaring at the fan which was still merrily trying to give him hypothermia, he pictured himself tearing it into tiny pieces, which brought a small amount of pleasure, before a particularly cold blast of air hit him in the face, rudely interrupting his thoughts. Another glance at his watch showed that the time was, fortunately, no longer 20 to 12. Unfortunately, it was only 19 to 12. 6 hours and 19 minutes to go. Tonight, Mike decided, was going to be a bloody long night.


	2. The First Night!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Five Nights at Freddy's or any characters found within. Nor do I own Reece or Isaac, given that they're real people that I know in real life. That would be weird. Anyways, hope you enjoy.**

 _11:59, the office_

Mike hadn't been at his job for more than 30 minutes and already he was regretting it. He was cold, bored and tired, and technically his shift hadn't even started yet. He'd tried to call Reece, but then he'd remembered that his friend had been asleep by 9, as usual. Aside from the low hum of the fan, which Mike had discovered actually did lack an off switch, the building was entirely silent. Oppressively so. Or at least, it was, until the old phone on the desk began to ring exceptionally loudly, causing Mike to smack his knees into his desk as he jumped backwards in fear. Cursing under his breath, he reached over to answer the phone, only to get another shock as a tinny voice began to talk.

" _Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night."_ "Yeah, you're doing a great job so far," Mike moaned, still recovering from his fright. "You nearly gave me a god damn heart attack!" Unfortunately, the speaker couldn't hear Mike, owing to the fact that it was a pre-recorded message, and so he continued to speak, ignorant of Mike's fear.

" _Um,_ _I actually worked in that office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, as a matter of fact. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Uh, you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?"_

Mike couldn't help but notice that the speaker didn't sound particularly reassured himself, but continued to listen intently. Anything was better than listening to nothing but the fan all night.

" _Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know. Um, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Fazbear Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days, or as soon property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced."_

"Wait wait wait what?!" Mike was starting to sweat now. "Why do I need to know about what happens if I go missing? It's not like people are gonna be trying to break in here and kill me! I doubt this place even has anything worth stealing! Who'd want those creepy-ass animatronics anyway?" Unfortunately for Mike, things were only going to get creepier from here.

" _Blah blah blah, now that might sound bad, I know, but there's really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay._

 _So, just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit."_ Mike had no response to this. All he could do was stare at the phone, hoping that this was all some sort of sick joke.

" _Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...Something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. I-It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?"_ "What the fuck" Mike whispered, glancing fearfully at the cameras, only marginally comforted to see the animatronics still in their usual position. The joy at finally having job was rapidly diminishing, instead replaced with a cold dread, as though something terrible was about to happen. Rather unsurprisingly, he was right to feel this.

 _Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll p-most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on. Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit. Um, now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh._

 _Y-Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta conserve power. Alright, good night."_

Mike had no words. The young brown-haired man simply sat and stared at the phone, trying to digest what he had just heard. Part of him wanted to laugh, to declare it just a cruel prank by a bored employee. Maybe it was Isaac trying to screw with him. After all, the two did sound somewhat alike. Maybe this was his way of vetting employees, seeing if they could handle the stress of working the shift. The other part of him, however, knew this could not be the case. People just didn't do that, and the voice had sounded completely serious. As far as Mike knew, his life was in mortal danger. Unsurprisingly, the thought had him struggling to keep his bodily fluids within, rather than all over the floor. In a somewhat surprising show of common sense, Mike decided that his best chance was to get the hell out, rather than spend the night in a small room trying to fend off apparently deadly animatronics. It was really a rather good idea. Feeling slightly more calm now that he had a plan in mind, Mike took a glance at the camera, quickly checking to make sure the animatronics were still in their place, which they all were. Well, two thirds of them were, anyway. Swearing loudly, Mike frantically tapped the buttons at random, desperately searching for the missing animatronic, the bunny. He passed over the dining room feed twice before he noticed the large purple shape looming in the background, glaring at the camera. It didn't do anything other than stare. Mike was practically frozen with fear. With a shaking hand he reached over and turned the monitor off, then back on again, praying that he was seeing things, praying that exhaustion was playing tricks with his mind. Unfortunately for Mike, the bunny was most definitely still there, still staring. If anything it seemed to have gotten closer, but as soon as the camera had turned on it had stopped in its tracks. Upon realising this, Mike gained an iota of confidence; it seemed he had some control over the animatronics after all. Animatronics. Swearing again, Mike quickly switched to the show stage, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing the other two in the right positions. Beginning to relax slightly, he switched back to the dining hall, intending to keep an eye on the bunny. This might have worked, but for the fact that the was a noticeable lack of bunnies in the dining hall. Eyes widening, Mike quickly hit the right hallway button, seeing nothing. The same could not be said of the left hallway, however. Mike choked back a sob as he saw the huge bunny frozen mid step, empty eyes gazing at the camera. Things were quickly going from terrible to unfathomably bad. Still, things could always be worse, right? As it turned out, they could! It was at this moment that the green light glowing in the bottom left corner of the display caught Mike's eye. The power. He'd completely forgotten. This time Mike couldn't hold back his tears as he looked upon the display which read 90%. Below that, it still said 12. "Oh god oh god oh god" he whispered, looking back at the bunny. It still hadn't moved, thankfully, but sooner or later mike would have to turn off the monitor or run out of power. Naturally, neither option was particularly appealing. Then he remembered the door lights. He could turn off the display, then keep flicking the lights until the animatronic showed up. Then he'd slam the door, check the others, and wait until the bunny left. Not a fool-proof plan by any means, seeing as the bunny could just wait outside his door for him to run out of power, but it hardly seemed like he had any other options. He'd just have to hope that it got bored and walked off. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all, but hey, it wasn't like he was in the mood to intellectually analyse his predicament. Steeling himself, he switched off the monitor and quickly reached over, pressing the light button. Nothing. Frowning, Mike pressed the button again. And again. And ag- "OH DEAR GOD FUCK NO!" Mike could have sworn his heart stopped for a good 2 seconds as he stared into the glowing orbs that seemed to be searching his soul. It took him another second to realise that the bunny wasn't moving, but by then his survival instincts had taken over and his body was moving of it's own accord, moving to punch the door button. In hindsight, probably not the smartest decision, given the fact that the button was made of a solid material, but that didn't matter. The doors slammed down, separating him from the animatronic and granting him a moment's respite, if nothing else. He knew he would eventually have to open the door, but for Mike, nothing mattered in that moment other than the fact that he was alive. Slowly sinking back into his chair, Mike prepared to grab the tablet and check the other animatronics, but then he noticed the warm dampness on the chair. Leaping up for the second time in a minute, his face flushed red with embarrassment. His muscles had finally given up on him, releasing his fluids all over himself. This night really was just getting worse and worse, unless...

Mike turned and grabbed the new uniform Isaac had left him with. It was gonna be awkward, what with the creepy bunny watching him, but it was worth it for at least a modicum of comfort. Quickly checking the lights, which showed the rabbit was still there, leering at him through the window and showing little sign of movement, he checked the other animatronics before hurriedly removing his clothes and bundling them up and replacing them with the grey outfit. It was of surprisingly good quality, soft and warm, but Mike had better things to be concerned with, such as his impending demise. Still, he took a moment to pin the badge to his suit before returning to the immediate problem. If he was gonna be working here, he may as well look the part, at least for tonight. Satisfied, he quickly checked the cameras, seeing no other animatronic threats moving towards him, but the large 82% in the corner worried him. Fortunately, it had finally turned over to 1 AM, but that just meant he still had to survive for 5 hours. Not exactly a cheery thought. Turning to the door, he quickly flicked the lights. Amazingly enough, the window was free of animatronics. Still, Mike wasn't satisfied. He went through the cameras, scrutinizing each feed in minute detail, before finally seeing the bunny in the closet down the corridor. Better than breathing down his neck at least. Opening the door with more than a little trepidation, Mike swiftly returned his attention to the monitor, prepared to delay the robot's advances to the best of his ability. Sighing, Mike cast a glance at the fan, suddenly overcome by appreciation for its presence. It was, as far as he knew, not trying to kill him, and the constant sound, while droning, was somewhat comforting. It was his only companion for this long night ahead, and Mike fully intended to recognize this fact. Maybe it lacking an 'off' button wasn't so bad after all.

The rest of the night was a blur as Mike worked hard and fast to delay the animatronics. The bunny approached his door more than once, but rarely lingered for more than a couple of minutes. At around 5, the big yellow chicken decided to join in the fun, but Mike was ready, slamming the door in its face before even needing to check the lights. Still, he rapidly became concerned, seeing as his power was rapidly draining, having only been at 15% when the clock ticked over to 5, but just as he thought he was about to run out, the bunny at his door, the most glorious sound he'd ever heard rang out across the neighbourhood; the church bells, signifying the arrival of 6AM. Mike sank into his chair, sucking in huge mouthfuls of air, before quickly flicking the door lights. Nothing. Switching to the tablet, he was more than a little surprised to see the animatronics all there on stage, posed as they were yesterday, as though they hadn't even moved. Still, Mike, understandably, was not convinced that he was safe, and so he waited for the first employees to arrive before sprinting out of the building, oblivious to the stares he was getting from the employees, and climbing into his car. In his rush he accidentally managed

to stall, but he quickly restarted and was out of the park like a shot, racing down the mostly empty streets back to his apartment. It took him several tries with shaking hands to unlock the door, and as soon as he had it open he was inside, bolting the door and stumbling towards the fridge. He still had some cheap beer that he'd nicked from a party last week. It wasn't strong, but there was a good deal of it, and after what he'd just been through, he would have settled for anything. He'd nearly opened a bottle before he collapsed, vision fading rapidly. His last thought before he lost consciousness was that he'd just wasted some perfectly good beer.

 **Well, this took my a good long while to get done. If you've read this far, hi. Next chapter is when things are gonna kick off for real, probably hopefully, but if not, definitely the next chapter after that. I kinda rushed the ending to this, because I wanted to get it out now rather than waiting for tomorrow, but I'll try not to in future. Thanks for reading, anyway!**


	3. Break My Mind

**Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyy! I got a follow and a favourite! Rather surprising, really. I assume people don't really read FNaF fanfics any more, but hey, I started this, and I'll sure as hell finish it. Anyway, disclaimer: I don't own the characters, you know, Scott didn't sell me the rights since last time, and Reece and Isaac still aren't my slaves so I don't own them either. This chapter is a fair bit (Read: really quite a lot) darker than the previous two. This will not be the case for any other chapters, I just wanted to get some important exposition out of the way, and this is, by necessity, darker in tone than the rest. Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

" **... _ichael..."_**

Mike groaned as he sat up, spots dancing before his closed eyes. It felt like he was floating on air. He was weightless, but then again, he had just struck his head upon the floor rather hard, so this wasn't wholly surprising. What was surprising, however, was when he opened his eyes, to be greeted by a horrifying expanse of...nothing. Darkness stretched out in all directions around him, leaving him suspended above an empty abyss. What was also surprising was that for the first time, Mike was completely lucid. He instinctively knew that what he was witnessing wasn't reality. Not really an impressive accomplishment, seeing as how it wouldn't make any sense if it were otherwise, but still, none of his other dreams ever made any sense and yet his brain didn't seem to care.

" _ **...Michael..."**_

Mike's head snapped around, searching for the source of the ghostly voice. This proved to be harder than expected. The voice seemed to echo from all directions, sometimes merely a whisper, others a moderately loud call. It was maddening.

"What do you want?" Mike tried to yell, although it came out as more of a squeak. He'd never been good at hiding his fear, a fact that his brother had always abused when he was younger.

" _ **...You can't leave now, Michael..."**_

"L-leave what?" Mike responded, voice wavering. "Th-this dream?" A spectral chuckle filled his ears, making his skin crawl.

" _ **...If I wished you to sleep forever...I wouldn't come to talk with you about it...now would I?"**_

Mike was now unashamedly terrified. He'd had nightmares before, when he was younger, but this was something else entirely. _Something_ was in hear with him, something beyond Mike's comprehension, mocking him.

" _ **...I apologize...for my demeanour. It was not my intention to...scare you. I have been rather...desensitised to...emotions."**_

Mike was most definitely not reassured by the fact that a ghostly unseen presence was telling him to not be scared. However, it hadn't attacked him yet, so in Mike's mind that put it higher than the animatronics on his list of cool people. It wasn't like he could really do anything but listen to what it wanted to say anyway. "Alright, I'm listening," Mike spoke, his voice stronger, more confident, "What did you want to talk to me about? What do you mean when you say I can't leave?" The chuckle came again, although this time it was mirthless, more weary sounding than anything.

" _ **...You can't run from...your new responsibility. You may not realise it...but you are bound to this place...as you always have been..."**_

As it spoke, an image appeared before Mike in the void, shimmering for a moment before solidifying. His jaw dropped as he registered what it was he was seeing. There, in front of him, was Freddy Fazbear's pizza, just as derelict as it had been when he'd walked out that morning. The oppressive silence, however, was gone, replaced with the sounds of children laughing and parents chatting. It was wrong, very wrong. From what he'd heard from Reece, the place hadn't had any real business for years, just the occasional family, or, if they were lucky, a small party. It was as though he'd stepped back in time, to before whatever happened that had destroyed Freddy's reputation. As he stared, the doors swung open, beckoning him.

" _ **...You must see...for yourself...the tragedy that befell this place..."**_

Mike knew that the voice would brook no disobedience. Not that he was planning on disobeying the ethereal power that was showing him this...vision? Taking a breath, he steeled himself and strode towards the doors. The sounds grew louder and louder as he approached. He was sure he heard singing and music. The animatronics must have been putting on a show. Nervously stepping through the doors, he never could have expected what he now saw before him. Spectral children dashed around, insubstantial, their appearances wavering, as if being viewed through water. Mike couldn't distinguish any features; they rippled and changed as he stared, until his eyes hurt and he was forced to look away. The smell of freshly baked pizza wafted towards him from the tables, although Mike knew there was nothing there. Still, nothing really seemed too out of the ordinary for a pizzeria, aside from the whole ghost children thing. Suddenly, there was the sound of a voice being cleared coming from a megaphone.

"Alright kids, are you ready for Freddy?" As one, the children turned towards the stage and cheered, deafening Mike. The lights began to dim, and as he watched, the curtains that covered the show stage began to part, ever so slowly, revealing Freddy and his band mates posing, ready to perform.

Well, a Freddy and his band, anyway.

Mike did a double take, seriously beginning to doubt his own sanity. Sure enough, the animatronics hadn't changed back into the forms Mike had just spent 6 hours with, torn and neglected, fur matted and stained. Instead, these new animatronics looked...clean. New. Instead of fur, these robots had shiny plastic casings, and compared to the animatronics Mike knew, these were smaller and less threatening. As he inspected them, they began to sing a cheesy song about the pizzeria, but the voices were indistinct, like they were coming from a great distance. In fact, everything seemed to be dimming, the colours growing diffuse as he wandered around the ghostly hall, struggling to understand what the voice had wanted to show him. It wasn't until he turned around that he saw the sharp outline of a child sitting alone in the corner, hugging his knees and looking lonely. Concerned, Mike tried to move towards the child, only to find his limbs refusing to obey him. Struggling against his unseen bonds, he tried to call out, but he found that even his mouth refused to function, leaving him a silent observer to whatever he was intended to witness.

"Hey kid, why the long face?"

Mike's eyes swivelled in their sockets, turning towards the newcomer. What he saw made his heart skip a beat. Towering above the child stood another animatronic, this one a golden yellow in colour, more similar in appearance to the robots from last night than these new ones singing behind him. This one looked was like the bunny, with towering ears, but slimmer, and taller. It had long eyelashes, giving it a rather girly appearance. All in all, it was rather unthreatening. However, the animatronic wasn't what worried Mike. What did was the all too human eyes that gazed at the child, cold and calculating, yet with a tinge of madness. They seemed to twitch erratically, never able to focus on one place. As Mike watched, the boy turned towards the bunny, eyes moist and sad.

"My dad promised he'd come back from work today and spend some time with me here," the child sniffled, drying his eyes on his already wet sleeve "but h-he never turned up. He n-never does, he always just drops me off and doesn't c-come back u-until closing time, and doesn't t-talk to me. I w-want my mum back, but she went to the doctor's one day a-and then..." The boy trailed off, sobbing, as tears streamed down his face. The animatronic tilted its head for a moment, as though thinking, before snapping its fingers and smiling at the child.

"Well, what if I were to play with you? We've got a room in the back for kids like you, where we have loads of toys and games! Its great fun! You'll never have to be alone again! We even have some special animatronics who'd love to meet you!"

A cold dread stole through Mike's body as he realised what was happening. The voice wasn't that of an animatronic at all. It was that of a human. Suddenly, those eyes were a lot more terrifying. Mike desperately struggled against his paralysis, but to no avail. He was forced to watch as the man within the suit took hold of the child's hand, leading him away towards a back room. He thought that was the end of it, until the room he was in dissolved around him, flowing back into the endless void, to be replaced with a new room that materialized around him. Bits and pieces of metal and fabric lay strewn across the floor, along with tools ranging from spanners to drills. Mike felt a momentary surge of terror as he recognized the robots that had stalked him last night, but quickly noticed the fact that they were merely being supported against the wall on poles that hooked under their arms. Moderately comforted by this fact, Mike turned his head, which he found he could now move, scanning the room. Other than the animatronics, there was nothing else of note, other than a large blanket draped across something large in the corner of the wall. That is, until the door behind Mike opened, followed by the sound of two sets of footsteps, one light, the other ponderous and heavy, before the door slammed shut. There followed the unmistakeable sound of a key turning in a lock, before the child and animatronic from before entered Mike's field of vision. The child's eyes were shut tight, but there was the ghost of a smile on his lips. "Can I open my eyes now?" he asked, the sadness from before gone, replaced with excitement at the prospect of meeting his new friends. "Not yet, I just need a moment to prepare you-I mean, prepare your friends. They're not awake right now, so we can't have you making lots of noise..." As he spoke, the man produced a roll of duct tape from behind his back, which must have been lying in Mike's blind spot. He proceeded to quietly tear a large piece off, moving to position himself behind the child. Mike again tried to scream out, but again, nothing came out. He couldn't even close his eyes. He tried to turn his head away, only to find he'd completely lost control. Whatever force had brought him here was making it really clear that he was to observe, whether he liked it or not. The child didn't struggle as the duct tape was placed over his mouth, and continued to stand patient and quiet whilst the man moved behind Mike again, flinching slightly at the sudden sound of metal on metal. Mike knew what was coming, desperately wanted to do something, anything, but he knew he was powerless. He watched as the man walked over to the blanked, knife gripped in the animatronic suit's hand, swiping it off to reveal 4 other children, 2 girls and 2 boys, bound and gagged, dirty faces streaked with tears, not even struggling, so great was their fear. "Alright, you can open your eyes now." The man's voice was just as warm and pleasant as before, not a hint of menace within. Mike watched as anticipation in the boy's eyes melted away, replaced with icy fear. He began to cry, backing away, hand reaching for the duct tape. The man didn't give him the chance to remove it. The knife flashed, sending a fine spray of blood and eliciting a shrill, yet hopelessly muffled scream from the child, you stumbled back, a long but shallow cut across his stomach. Mike wanted to cry as he watched the disgusting barbarity playing out before him, but no tears came. The suited man toyed with the child, severing hamstrings and breaking bones, until there was nothing but a crying, soiled mass in a corner, unable to move. The man wasn't finished with his torture though. Rather than finishing the boy, he instead turned to the other children who sat quivering with terror, too frightened to attempt an escape. Cutting one of the girls loose, a blonde haired teen of about 15 years, he threw her into the room, and the horror commenced again, and again, each time uniquely brutal yet with the same result, until his suit was soaked with blood and bodily fluids, and all the children were completely incapacitated. The first girl lay without eyes, nose shattered and cheekbones crushed. As Mike watched, the man took hold of her and picked her up, easily hefting the dead weight, carrying her towards the suits. Mike vaguely recalled what the phone guy had said, about what the animatronics would do if they caught him. Now he was going to witness it first hand. It took about a minute of pushing, cursing, and whispered pleading from the teen, but finally there was a wet squelch, and the pleading ceased. This repeated 3 more times, until there was only the first child left, and only one suit, one that Mike had never seen before. It was gold, like the suit the man wore, but looked like Freddy rather than the bunny. As the man picked up the child, Mike could barely make out the whispered question. "W-w-why...?" came the deathly quiet rattle. The head of the suit tilted, fist placed under the chin. "I asked myself the same question once," came the cheery response, "and then I realised..." the voice suddenly went deadly serious, all emotion gone from it. "I'm doing you a favour. Children are cruel. I know better than anyone. I'm saving you from them. All of you were alone, despondent. Others would have bullied you, or ignored you. Or hurt you. I'm protecting you from them. Freeing you from them. Now, you'll be safe from their tortures. You'll have 4 new friends, in the afterlife. Nothing will ever hurt you again. Now be quiet, and go to sleep..."

" _ **Now you see...the terrible truth...that has faded into obscurity. Now...it is merely an urban legend..."**_

Mike blinked, and was back in the void, surrounded by nothing. He felt exhausted, leaden, and everything was growing hazy. Well, as hazy as endless blackness can be, anyway.

" _ **...ou must...ind the...nd then..."**_

The voice was growing distorted, faint. Mike's head was spinning. He felt sick. His ears were full of the sound of roaring wind. He was waking up.

" _ **...ichael...can you hear...ichael...Michael...MICHAEL!"**_

Mike bolted up, screaming, and then promptly threw up all over himself. There, in front of him, was Reece, looking...moderately concerned. Not hugely, but enough. "Jesus Mike," he breathed, eyes full of relief that belied his fairly blasé expression. "you had me scared there for a minute. Just how much have you been drinking?" "Not much...I...I think I passed out...I'm exhausted..." This was true. He felt like he hadn't slept in...hours, surprisingly enough. Also, his head felt like he'd been smashed with a brick, which was most unpleasant. "I think I'm just gonna...go back to sleep...wake me in a few hours..." Reece glared, unimpressed, as Mike began to snore. One thing was for certain; He was never going drinking with Mike again.

 _ **Another place, at roughly the same time at which the above was happening...**_

In a dark, dusty room, an old, abandoned animatronic began to stir. There was a soft whirring, and a faint glow in the eyes that flickered for a few moments, before fading into nothing. As quickly as it had come, the sound and light disappeared, plunging the room into the silence and darkness in which it had lain for years. It wouldn't be long now...

 _ **Well, this chapter quickly became a great deal darker, gorier, and plot-ier than I intended it to be. The dream thing was only meant to be short, but I kinda got carried away. It took a fair bit of restraint to move off the gore. I enjoyed writing this, but wasn't hugely proud of the outcome. It felt like it lacked a little cohesion, and was maybe a bit confusing, but eh, maybe that's just me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and hopefully, you'll continue reading as and when I bring out new chapters. See you later :)**_


	4. Golden Visitations

**Alriiiiiiiight? Sorry about the slow rate at which I update this fanfic, I find it hard to get motivated. Not that that's a fair excuse, or that I don't enjoy making them, but games. Anyway, I don't own the characters, I never have, and most likely never will. Enjoy!**

 _ **Ooooh...about 8 hours after the end of the last part, which, for reference, ended at about...7AM.**_

It had been a few hours since Mike had woken up, after a short but dreamless sleep. He still felt thoroughly crap, but at least he hadn't received any more terrifying visions. Unfortunately, now being awake, he was forced to confront the fact that he may well be certifiably insane. The only other time Mike had had a vision was when he was offered weed in high school, and that was not an experience he had ever wished to repeat .Still, he couldn't deny that the vision had seemed eerily real, and the voice...shuddering, he decided it wasn't worth dwelling on. However, he couldn't deny that what he had seen had piqued his curiosity. He still had about 9 hours till his shift started again. Plenty of time to do some background research. He was halfway to the computer before he stopped, furrowing his brows. What the hell was he thinking? Why on earth would he ever go back to that pizzeria? He'd nearly died! He could still remember feeling the bunny's piercing gaze, searching his soul, and the sheer terror that had consumed him. He'd thought for sure that he was doomed that night. He sure as hell wasn't gonna risk his life again for a measly $4.50 an hour. Screw the rent, it just wasn't worth it. Immediately after thinking that, a wave of guilt hit Mike. It wasn't just him he was providing for. Reece had had to spend all his savings on medical treatment for his dad, who'd suffered from complications following surgery, and had no-where to stay whilst studying at university. If Mike couldn't keep this job, they'd both be thrown out, and Reece would have to leave to live with his mother, too far away to attend any universities. Besides, Mike didn't even know if he really had been in danger last night. The voice on the phone had sounded suspiciously similar to Isaac. What if it had just been a prank? Come to think of it, the animatronics hadn't really done...anything. Sure, they'd clanked around a bit, but the bunny could have attacked him whilst it was outside his door. Instead, it had just looked at him. Really, they were just machines. Unless someone had specifically programmed them to kill, there was no way they would harm him. Having thought this through, Mike began to feel a great deal more comfortable with the thought of returning the pizzeria. Hey, maybe it would grow on him. It was only 6 hours, anyway. It could easily be worse. He could not have doors! Small things, right? Satisfied with how he'd logically thought this through, Mike, filled with new purpose, returned to his present task of learning more about the pizzeria he was going to be working at for the foreseeable future. Moving to the computer, which had been on since yesterday (Mike didn't care for trees) he opened up google chrome and began to quickly type in 'Freddy Fazbear's Pizza". It took until 'Faz' for the browser to bring up what Mike wanted. Naturally, the first recommended page was a Wikipedia article. Opening it in a new tab, Mike proceeded down the page, opening another 5 or so, many of which had titles that were "Freddy Fazbear's shocking secret!" or something to that effect. Most of them were utter dross, stories that spent about 4 pages telling you something happened then never actually explaining, but one of them, "Fazbear's Fright; the cover-up story' piqued his curiosity. It detailed how, back in 1987, there had been another location, one much grander than the dingy hole Mike was working in. For months, things had been on the up and up; more customers, more money, newer, shinier animatronics...and then, it had all gone wrong. There were several statements from former employees, all of them regarding a mysterious man who could not be named for legal reasons. Instead, they referred to him as 'That purple guy' or 'the purple man' after the purple uniform he wore. Rather unsurprising, really. It wasn't like he was going to be a literal purple man. All the statements were the same. Apparently there had been another tragedy that had occurred several years prior, something that the company had been able to blame on the company that had supplied the animatronics, and the purple guy had been working in the pizzeria when it happened. Afterwards, something had changed. He began to suffer from rather intense mood swings, one moment playing with children and laughing along, only to suddenly break down into tears. He was the only one qualified to repair and maintain the animatronics though, so the company had been unable to fire him. They'd paid for therapy, but the doctors had concluded that he just needed time to recover from the trauma of what he'd seen. For a while, that had been the end of it. It seemed like the purple guy had recovered. They'd still kept an eye on him, but it seemed like what had happened (Which the god damn article wouldn't say) was now just memory. That was, until he went missing in the summer of 87'. Along with 5 children. Naturally, he was the prime suspect. The only catch was, well, he was missing. They briefly detained another worker, but nothing came of it, and he was released the next day. Even the suit the purple guy had worn was missing. It was as though the purple man had just vanished off the face of the earth. Unfortunately for Freddy's, this was only the start of their troubles. Soon after the incident, customers began to complain about a horrific smell that emanated from the old robots, like the smell of rotten flesh. The fur was matted and sticky, even slightly red, and the eyes facial regions were covered in mucus. This led to the creation of the new animatronics, intended to revitalize the flagging franchise, but they only lasted a week before they were scrapped for parts. It didn't help. Since then, Freddy's had faced nothing but mounting debts and inevitable closure. Frankly, it was a miracle that they'd managed to stay open for so long. By the end of the article, Mike had started to sweat again. He saw again in his mind's eye the suited man shoving the children into the suits, blood spurting on the animatronics. After what he'd read, it made so much sense...but visions weren't real, right? There was no way. Spirits and ghosts didn't exist. There was no way something had actually been trying to contact him. It just couldn't be true. It was just a coincidence, that was all. A very, very detailed coincidence. Fortunately for Mike, however, the article had made absolutely no reference to animatronics coming to life and trying to murder security guards, which was definitely a positive. At least he could stop fearing for his life now. The only thing he had to fear now was losing his mind, but that would be a concern for a later date. Right now, he felt fine. He'd just pretend the vision had never happened. It was just a dream, at most. Satisfied, Mike turned his thoughts to the shift ahead. He sure as hell wasn't going to sit there for another 6 hours doing nothing but checking cameras. At the very least, he'd bring a book. Hopefully it would help to distract him from the unnerving glare of the animatronics. He also made a mental note to remember to empty a bottle out before going. He sure as hell wasn't going to the gent's with the animatronics around. Feeling prepared now, he turned back to the computer. He still had several hours to kill, and a day of youtube to catch up on...

 _ **11:59 PM, the office...**_

He'd barely been there 10 minutes and already Mike was bricking it. He'd forgotten just how damn intimidating the bots were. Being in the small cramped office wasn't helping either. The fan was still there, doing...fan things, but other than that, he was alone. Isaac had been gone when Mike got there, leaving a note saying that he had important business stuff that Mike didn't understand to attend to. Sighing, he picked up his big 2000AD Judge Dredd case files number 2 and began to read. He was dimly aware of the phone guy in the background chatting about some a large insecure fox, but none of it went in. In fact, It was 12:30 before he started, realising he hadn't checked the cameras once. Taking a quick glance to make sure everyone was in their right places, which they were, he returned to his book, not even bothering to check any of the other feeds. It was only when the thundering clang of metal upon the floor came racing down the hall that Mike put his book down. Well, put it down is a bit of a stretch. More like 'threw it up in the air above his head whilst screaming like a young child'. As they had the first night, survival instinct kicked in, causing him to slam the door button on the left side before he even realised what was happening. He barely caught a glimpse of tattered red fur and exposed metal before the barrier came crashing down. Whatever had rushed him slammed on the door a couple of times, as though it could batter down the huge slab of metal, but eventually there came the sound of footsteps again, this time rapidly receding. Quickly, Mike swept up the camera, tapping to the left hallway. Nothing. He did a sweep of the whole left side of the building, and at one point he thought he saw a shadow in the corner of the dining room, but it turned out to be nothing after he rubbed his eyes. This didn't mean he wasn't absolutely terrified, given that, yes, the animatronics were still apparently after him and also that they could actually move at a speed faster than a walk, but it was a tad reassuring to see nothing on the feed. He again checked the show stage, and seeing as no-one had moved, decided to place the tablet down for a moment and take a breath. Cautiously he opened the door, and when he wasn't immediately mauled to death he moved back to his chair, letting out a long sigh of relief. He still had plenty of power, which was good, but now it seemed like there may be a 4th animatronic to contend with. Which was bad. Still, if he could hear it coming, he shouldn't have any trouble dealing with it. He'd just slam the door down. Maybe it would get halfway through and then the door would crush it. Sure, he'd get fired, but he wouldn't be at risk of dying any more. Smiling slightly as he thought about this, he began to absent-mindedly flick through the camera feeds, not really paying much attention. If he had, he may have noticed that a certain poster on the 2B feed had changed, going from a friendly-yet-creepy looking Freddy to an extreme close-up of a golden, eyeless version of the same. He definitely noticed the high pitched giggle that sounded like it was right next to his ear though. And the limp, lifeless golden bear sitting in front of him when he threw down the monitor, pinprick white eyes staring into his soul. It was a petrifying gaze. Mike could barely breath. He managed to choke out a half sob, half whine, but he couldn't look away. There was a roaring sound in his ears, not unlike that from the vision, a terrifying mechanical howl. It took Mike a couple of seconds to realise he was screaming too. He was still screaming long after he blacked out, closed eyes unable to blot out the visage of the golden apparition.

 **So, I'd really like to apologize for this chapter. It took ages to do, it wasn't very long, really isn't great quality at all, and doesn't really expand on anything. I was having a bit of writer's block with this, and I kept putting it off and off. The first bit I really wanted to get done with because I wanted to move onto the rest of it, but I really struggled to think of things to put. I ended it here because I wanted to be able to upload something, and if I moved onto the next bit now, it would be the length of another chapter, and would probably take me another week to finish. I really have no excuse for this, but I promise I'll do my best to deliver on the next chapter. Oh, and the animatronics and Mike will meet. Finally. For real. I swear.**


End file.
